


Best Laid Plans

by tptigger



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Gen, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-06
Updated: 2014-05-06
Packaged: 2018-01-23 17:44:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1574177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tptigger/pseuds/tptigger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek and Laura have to bring Cora to the Lahey house while attending to sports team business.  Fortunately, Camden's watching Isaac.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Best Laid Plans

**Author's Note:**

> For Cotton Candy Bingo Round 2, Prompt: Lost and Found

Cora fretted with her Hannah Montana backpack as Laura pulled into the Laheys' driveway. "Are you sure this is going to be OK?"

Peter was supposed to be watching Cora while Derek and Laura worked on their fundraising contest project for the baseball and swim teams, respectively, but Peter hadn't shown up, so Derek and Laura had packed her into the car with them.

"Camden said it would be fine." Derek tapped his fingers on the door handle.

"Isaac's nice," Laura turned around, meeting Cora's eyes. "I've met him at team parties over here all the time."

Cora frowned. "Sure, he's nice to _you_. You're bigger than him."

Derek turned around, resting his arm on the back of the driver's seat. "Cora, is someone beating you up at school and you're not telling me?"

"Nope." Cora played with her backpack straps, but her heartbeat was even.

"So why are you worried?" Derek asked.

"Because boys have cooties," Cora said.

"Don't worry, we'll hose you down with disinfectant when we get home." Derek unbuckled his seat belt.

"That stuff smells funny." Cora crinkled her nose.

"Derek don't encourage her," Laura said. "Cora, boys do not have cooties. Cut us some slack, OK? It's not our fault that Peter ditched you, and we want the swim team and baseball team to be able to out fundraise the LaCrosse team, right?"

"Right. LaCrosse sucks!" Cora said.

Laura held up a hand and Derek high fived her. They had Cora well trained.

"So we still need to have this meeting," Derek climbed out of the car and opened the back door. "It had to be here because Camden needs to watch Isaac. So you two can hang out or do homework while we brainstorm, OK?"

"Okay." Cora looked down at her backpack again.

"If he gives you any grief I'll beat him up." Derek held out his hand. "Come on."

Cora climbed out, taking the offered hand. "His big brother's here, won't he have to beat you up?"

"I can take Camden Lahey, don't worry." Derek led Cora up the driveway.

"You're lucky he has normal hearing." Laura smacked Derek upside the head. "Do not challenge Camden to a testosterone face-off. Cora, don't worry, Isaac is nice; he won't give you any trouble."

"It will be *fine*," Derek added, ringing the doorbell.

"Hey guys," Camden Lahey said as he opened the door. "Greenberg's little brother has little league, so we won't be able to have a squirt party, but Cora and Isaac can have some fun as soon as he finishes his homework."

Cora made a face. "More boys?"

Camden raised an eyebrow. "No, he can't make it. What's wrong with boys?"

"They have cooties," Cora said primly.

Derek ruffled her hair. "You just keep thinking that squirt."

"I've got us set up in the dining room, Isaac's doing homework in the kitchen. I can bring you..." Camden took a step towards Cora, but she stepped closer to Derek.

"Why don't I go introduce them while you two figure out how we're going to keep Greenberg from insisting on a kissing booth again this year," Laura said.

"We tell him Cindy Jeevers graduated?" Derek asked as Cora tried to snuggle into him. "This is going to be really boring, squirt. Why don't you go with Laura and hang out with Isaac."

"Boys..."

"Cora, come on," Laura said, moving towards them and offering Cora her hand.

Cora stared at it, holding tightly to Derek's hand as if it were a life preserver.

Derek pulled out his phone. "Tell you what, squirt. I'm going to set my alarm for half an hour. After that, if you're really miserable, you can come do your homework at my feet as long as you're quiet, OK?"

"Okay," Cora said. She let go of Derek and latched onto Laura's hand instead.

"It will be fine," Laura said, leading Cora away.

Derek rolled his eyes.

"You really want to wrangle her in here?" Camden asked.

Derek shook his head. "Cora's just shy. She'll be fine once she has a chance to warm up to Isaac."

* * *

Cora was trying to hide behind Laura's legs. Laura pushed her in front, setting Cora's backpack on the table.

"Hi, Isaac," Laura said.

The small boy with the curly hair looked up. "Hi, Laura."

"This is my sister, Cora. Cora, this is Isaac."

"Hi," Isaac said. "You're in Mrs. Evans's class, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Cora said.

"Are you any good at long division?"

"Not too bad," Cora said.

"Can you help me? I'm not really getting it, and Camden's getting annoyed with me."

"Yeah, I can help." Cora pulled a chair up next to Isaac and climbed into it.

Laura slipped out, knowing Cora was occupied.

* * *

True to Derek's prediction, Cora was perfectly content to stay with Isaac by the time half an hour was up, so the teenagers were free to plan without a fourth grader under foot. A further hour and a half later, they were finally finished planning.

"This is our year for sure," Camden said, getting up to stretch.

"I still think we'd be better off with a kissing booth," Greenberg said.

"No!" the other three chorused.

"Cindy Jeevers graduated," Derek said.

Greenberg blushed. Then his phone rang. "Hello? Whoops, sorry bro, I'll be right over." He closed the phone. "I gotta run. Little league practice is over."

"I'll go see how long it'll take to wrestle Cora away now that she's settled," Derek said, heading for the kitchen.

He found Cora's backpack and a pile of schoolbooks, but no kids. "Cora? Isaac?"

Camden strode in. "They're not here?"

Derek shook his head.

"Maybe they're in the den playing video games." The three teens walked through the kitchen into the den in the back of the house, but it was also empty.

Camden blanched. "The back door is open." He raced out, Laura at his heels.

"What?" Derek asked, jogging after them.

"The pool," Laura said.

"Isaac? Cora?" Camden called. There wasn't any response.

The three teens craned their necks.

"Pool's empty," Camden said with obvious relief. "Dad is going to _kill_ me for this."

"Back gate's ajar," Derek said. "Is there anywhere Isaac might've thought to go?"

"There's a park about three blocks down." Camden frowned, rubbing away goose bumps on his arms. "He's not supposed to go there alone."

"He's not alone; Cora's with him..." Laura started.

Camden paled. "That kid is entirely too good at loopholes." "Come on." He took off at a run that would have made the track team jealous.

"Cora!" Laura called.

"Isaac!"

They raced to the park, shouting for the two children the whole way. As they turned the corner, Derek saw Cora on the swing set. Isaac was next to her. They were both swinging high. "On the swings!"

Camden changed directions ahead of him and Derek could hear Laura keeping pace a few steps behind.

Cora jumped off the swing as it neared the top of its arc, then ran to meet them. "Laura! Derek! I helped Isaac with his math and then we came here and slid the slide and I swung higher than him and he doesn't like jumping off and..." she cut off as Derek reached her, scooping her up into his arms

He hugged her tight. "Don't scare us like that."

Laura caught up, wrapping her arms around both of them. "You can't go wandering off in the city! We didn't know where you were. You might've drowned in the Laheys' pool."

"We should get back." Camden's knuckles were white on Isaac's shoulders. "Before my dad gets home."

Isaac took a step closer to Camden, color draining from his face.

"They're OK," Derek said.

"We left the back door open." Camden's voice shook, and he let go of one of Isaac's shoulders to rub his arm again. "And Dad will *kill* me if he finds out I let Isaac wander off."

"I'm sorry." Isaac buried his face in Camden's stomach. "I just wanted to show Cora the park."

"You should've waited until asked, then we could've walked over together." Camden took Isaac's hand, leading him towards the house. "Something could've happened. And I was afraid you'd fallen in the pool." He set a brisk pace.

The three Hales exchanged glances and set off after them, trying to keep up. Derek had to pick up Cora because she kept falling behind. Isaac kept shooting them jealous looks.

They were three quarters of the way back before Derek realized that only a werewolf would be able to pick up someone Cora's size.

Cora, however, seemed oblivious to Camden's distress and was chattering happily. "Isaac let me help him with his math! Then he was going to help me learn how to catch, but we couldn't find a ball so we went to the park and Isaac showed me how to climb up the slide and..."

They went inside the gate, Camden shutting it behind them. "Anyone home?" he called.

He sighed with obvious relief when no one responded.

"Are you going to tell Dad?"

"Not if you help Cora go get her stuff packed up and then set the table," Camden said.

"Deal!" Isaac smiled.

"Don't run near the pool." Derek set Cora gently on her feet.

Cora grabbed Isaac's hand. To their credit, they didn't start tearing into the house until they were well clear of the pool.

"You OK, Cam?" Laura asked.

"Fine, Isaac just scared me," Camden said. His heart sped up.

Laura and Derek exchanged glances.

"You'll have to bring Cora the next time Isaac's home for a team party," Camden said.

"Distracting little siblings with play dates, who'd have thought?" Derek said.

Laura ruffled Derek's hair. "Not everyone's a broody loner like you, little bro."

Derek batted her hand away, then glanced at his watch. "We should probably get going. Mom's expecting us for dinner."

"You mean you want to beat Peter home so that you can hear her ream him out," Laura said.

"That too," Derek replied.

* * *

"I have to convince Isaac that LaCrosse is bad," Cora said as Laura pulled out of the driveway.

"Oh?" Derek asked.

"Yeah, he wants to be on the team"

"I'm sure he'll wise up before high school," Laura said. "If not, Camden will teach him."

"Good," Cora said. "I can't marry a LaCrosse player, that would be bad."

"What?" Derek asked.

"I'm going to marry Isaac!"

Derek winced. "What happened to boys have cooties?"

"He let me help him with his math," Cora replied.

"Good call, sis. Always fall for a guy who wants you for your brains."

Derek leaned into the window. "Both of you. What am I going to do?"

"Don't be a male show-man-ist pig, Derek." Cora blew a raspberry at him.

"Chau-van-ist, Cora." Laura enunciated for her.

"You should've let Mom hear it the other way first." Derek shook his head.

The End


End file.
